Are you getting the best rate of return on investment? Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine annually discusses ways to boost your investment yield in their latest issue. I have to say that I am always pretty disappointed in their recommendations. I love the magazine, but I didn't really care for a list of mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). But, I wanted concrete ideas on how to earn a 10% annual rate of return on my investments. US Treasuries are earning less than 1% and money market funds are not fairing much … [Read more...] about Ten Ways To Earn A 10% Rate Of Return On Your Investments

I love watching movies. It is actually one of my guilty pleasures, and my wife and I actually spend a lot of money every month watching movies at the movie theater. But, there are tons of great ways to save money watching a movie at the theater this summer. How to Save Money At The Movie Theater Here are five of my favorites and a separate list of some other great ideas to save money at the movie theater this summer. Join The Discount Club Several of the national movie theater chains have rewards programs that can help you save money on … [Read more...] about Five Ways To Save Money At The Movie Theater This Summer

The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently experienced the largest single-day drop in history, but it bounced back relatively quickly. Ever since then, the markets have been swinging up and down so much that some economists have wondered whether a recession is on the horizon. For the average American who’s saving for retirement, this economic news probably sounds terrifying. Saving for retirement is hard enough, now we have to deal with crazy market fluctuations, too? Fortunately, there are several ways you can protect your retirement nest … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Protect Your Retirement Nest Egg in a Volatile Stock Market

Wouldn't it be great to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck, have extra money left over each month for investments or vacation savings, and minimize useless expenses that chip away at your available funds without you realizing it sometimes? Financial security, freedom from debt, and passive income growth are things many of us want for our own lives, but it can be difficult to achieve these goals without plenty of time to devote to researching various financial options and deciding which route is best for your own situation. If financial freedom … [Read more...] about Cinch Financial Review – How to View Your Entire Financial Life in One Place

What do you do when you blow your budget? If you’re like many of us, feelings of dread give way to anxiety or even panic as you wonder how you’ll cover your credit card payments next statement period or mentally kick yourself for spending that money on a comparatively frivolous shopping spree when you could have saved that money and/or invested it instead. How to Recover from Impulse Spending It’s okay to feel this way at first, but the best way to recover from a spending hangover is to be proactive and immediately look for ways to tighten … [Read more...] about Top 5 Easy Steps for Recovering from Impulse Spending

Whether you’re planning to retire in your late 60s or you’re aspiring to retire early, it’s important to remember that retirement is more than just financial planning and preparing to quit your job. You need to enjoy retirement. Far too many people actually hate it in the end because they weren't prepared for the reality of retirement. It’s interesting how we all dream of quitting our jobs and living in luxury some day, but when retirement finally becomes a reality, a lot of people experience bouts of boredom. Don’t let your golden years go to … [Read more...] about 4 Simple Ways to Enjoy Retirement Like You Always Dreamed You Would

Last year, my wife and I joined the league of accidental landlords. We were upside down in our home and couldn't sell it without taking a big loss. So after relocating for work, we decided to rent our house out. I thought it would be a simple endeavor to charge enough rent in order to cover our mortgage payment each month. But that was hardly the case when the rubber met the road. There were several important factors I neglected to take into consideration that hampered my return. I was struggling just to break even. With a mortgage … [Read more...] about How I Am Struggling as an Accidental Landlord for the First Time

The following is a guest post by Irina Vasilescu from the blog, Don't Pay Full, about which is better a public or private college. If you'd like to guest post on Money Q&A, check out our guest posting guidelines. On the surface, it seems like a simple question to answer. Which is better a public or private college? Which is a better investment? Surely, private colleges are cheaper, get you into less student debt, and you still get to graduate and earn the money back. But the real answer to this question is a whole lot more complex than … [Read more...] about Public vs. Private College: Which One Is a Better Investment?

If you are like me, you have a mountain of paperwork from your stock transactions, mutual fund statements, credit card bills, and a host of other financial records and financial documents. But, now that you have collected so much, the real question is how long to keep financial records and documents? There are several lengths of time and factors that you should consider how long to keep financial records. How Long To Keep Financial Records Financial Records To Keep Forever… There are several very important financial documents and records … [Read more...] about How Long to Keep Financial Records and Documents

You could live to be 75 or even 100. You never know how many years you may live after retiring from your full-time job, which means extending your retirement savings is critically important for your quality of life. If you’re concerned about whether your current savings will last, here are some exciting and useful ways to generate more income during retirement. Earn More Income Contribute to Your IRA or 401(k) Did you know that you can still contribute to retirement plans even after you retire? Doing so offers many financial advantages, … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Earn More Income in Retirement

Note - This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Radius Bank. All opinions are 100% my own. Even when you think you have no room left in your budget to cut expenses, you might be surprised by how many things you’re still needlessly spending money on when there are cheaper or even free alternatives available. Spending money on needs and wants is a psychologically rewarding activity, which is why it’s so easy for us to overlook areas where we could/should rein in our spending, but if you want to accomplish your financial goals then … [Read more...] about Useless Everyday Products to Stop Wasting Money On